Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Captain Corea]

For years I (and so many of you) have been baffled by the need for Koreans to "go to the Hospital" (clinic) for minor ailments. No matter how logically they understand it when you say "the doctor has no cure for your cold" or "please finish your antibiotics!"

Finally the news jumps in http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200601/200601050007.html

[Hater Depot]

Other countries should do the same. Doctors often prescribe antibiotics for patients for whom they will do no good, just to make them shut up and go away.

[jacl]

Yeah, one of my engineer students said he went with his son to the hospital because they both had runny noses (?!!!?!).

I do my best to stay away from hospitals. The longer you can stay away, the longer you'll live.

[Taegeuk]

My 75 year old uncle, who just recently passed away, visited the doctor around 7 months ago. When the doctor asked him when was the last time he saw a doctor, he stated, "The day I was born!"

Cheers to my Uncle Bob for seeing the humour in everything, even when battling cancer those last few months.

As well, a doctor friend of my family who was the president of the Canadian Medical Association always gave the best advice. I asked him about the treatment for the common cold. He said if you take medication, it will be gone in about 14 days. If you take nothing, it'll take about 2 weeks.

[Keepongoing]

it was the same when I lived in HK as soon as someone got a cough they went to the Doctor and were astonished that I would not. I explained that in the US you only go ig you really think you need to. Like Korea, Hong Kong has a similar set-up where going to the Doc is relatively cheap.

Oh, here is a good story about going to the clinic here. I was in Thailand and contacted conjunctivitis. There the Doctors wore plastic gloves and used Q-tips to pull down my lower eye to inspect here. I was shocked when I went here and the Doctor took her ungloved finger and poked the lower part of my infected eye and then went to her keyboard to type in some stuff. Absolutely unbelievable.

[ajuma]

In Eastern Europe, it's even more common. You can go to the doctor when you have a cold and s/he'll give you an note so you can be out of work for a week!!

[BigBuds]

Or you can do what we do in Australia. Call the boss, tell him you're sick and then go down to the beach and laze around in the sun.

Always makes me feel better

[ajuma]

I worked in health care for quite some time. It's a lot easier calling in sick to someone who will say "Oh, I hope you feel better" instead of someone who says "What EXACTLY is wrong?"

[Hollywoodaction]